Page 78 of Two is a Pattern

“As happy as I could be, I suspect,” she said. “I miss you and Daddy, though.”

“You just seem”—Patty shook her head a little—“spread thin, I suppose.”

Annie shrugged one shoulder. Tucked her hair behind her ear.

“Why do you need all those work clothes, anyway?” her mother continued. “Are you working again?”

“Part-time,” Annie said.

“Doing what?”

“You know, helping out here and there.”

“Helping out who, honey?”

“The police,” Annie said. “The FBI and sometimes the sheriff.”

“Really?” Patty seemed genuinely surprised. Not the faux kind of surprise where she put her hand to her chest even though she clearly knew all along.

“Yeah.” It felt strangely good to be telling the truth. An unfamiliar feeling, a rare, small pleasure. “Turns out there aren’t so many people who can do what I do, so they use me when they can.”

“Isn’t that clever,” Patty said, “setting all that up.”

“It took me no effort at all.” Annie zipped the suitcase closed.

* * *

Her parents had given her a beautiful black leather tote for Christmas, so she felt like a new woman as she walked through LAX with a proper suitcase and a purse that wasn’t fraying right off her shoulder. She called Helen from Salt Lake City to remind her that she was perfectly capable of taking a taxi home, that it was a short distance, that it wouldn’t even cost her that much, but Helen just said, “We’ll be there.”

She next called the university housing office. No one answered. They probably didn’t staff the place between Christmas and New Year’s, and it was just as well that she didn’t have to talk to a real person. She left a message that she was declining their offer of a room and felt only a little silly after she’d pitched a fit when she arrived at the UCLA campus. But it didn’t matter, and she refused to dwell on it.

She fidgeted through the last leg of her flight, which seemed interminable, and by the time she landed in California, it was dark and felt late though it was only dinnertime.

The flight had arrived on time, so hopefully Helen would be waiting. She was grateful for the ride but exhausted. She wantedto get back to her own bed, her denim jacket, her good candy stash, the rest of her makeup. Her privacy and solitude.

She expected to find Helen parked at the curb in her red Jeep, but when she made it to baggage claim, she found Kevin holding a cardboard sign with her name scrawled in red and green marker. Then she saw Ashley. Helen was just behind them, holding a baby in her arms. Right away, she could tell it was Zach. Even from a distance, she could see that something wasn’t quite right. When she got closer, she saw the cast on his leg and a bump on his head.

“Hey, guys!” She hugged Kevin and waved at Ashley. Helen looked tired but happy. “So, what did I miss?”

“We got Zach back,” Ashley said. “He’s hurt, though.”

“Hey, buddy,” Annie said.

Zach, suddenly shy, curled his face into Helen’s neck.

“Long story,” she said. “Welcome home.”

“I can’t believe you brought the whole gang,” Annie said.

“They insisted,” she said. “Is that all you have?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Come on, everyone. Come on, come on,” Helen said. “To the car.”

Annie leaned into Kevin. “I just love the sign.”

He sighed happily. “I knew you would.”

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